Mirror Dust
by Unequal Asp
Summary: Jareth has been watching Sarah from afar since she left him. Until her mirror breaks taking with it the spell that allows him to. Forcing him to make an appearance in Sarah's new life and forcing Sarah to face the villain of her past. J/S
1. Chapter 1

*SMASH*  
For the fourth time, Sarah asked the movers to be more careful with her furniture, although unlike the first, second and third occasions, her voice now held a particular strained note bordering on a whine.

"C'mon guys, don't make me say it again, please?!" the movers didn't really so much as hesitate in their path of destruction to the front door, Sarah's mattress awkwardly grasped between their meaty paws. Fortunately, all of her treasured books and knick-knacks were already safely packed away and loaded into her beat-up car, if anyone was moving those it was going to be her!

After coaxing a knocked-about side table out of their way and setting the fallen floor lamp upright, Sarah took in one last look at her home before she left.

While she loved her home, Sarah's adventurous spirit had gotten the better of her as it always did. Her studies complete and her feet itching to wander, Sarah had found herself a quaint little apartment close to the city where she worked. Sculpting wasn't the best paying work but she had received enough commissions lately to buy her some independence from her family home and to set her on the path to self sufficiency.

Everyone in her small town already new her and had grown up with 'Strange Sarah' always daydreaming or muttering about goblins stealing her favorite pens. No, it was time for new people, fresh blood. Perhaps she would make some friends in her new neighborhood, perhaps she could take a class or something, maybe she would take up yoga, although the unpleasant mental image of her trying to perform downward-facing dog while squeezed into tight fitting elasticated leggings rapidly knocked her off. It was probably the leggings, even the thought of them triggered a sordid inner montage of firm muscled male legs, black leather and wild hair. A wicked laugh echoed from somewhere in her memories. Sarah squeezed her hands into tight fists and shook her head swiftly to dislodge the image. "Don't go there, never there." she whispered quietly to herself.

Maybe she would finally meet a guy, one who would live up to her expectations and want more than a stable job and a dinner on the table when he got home? Her expression grew wistful as she pictured herself colliding gracefully with some tall, rakishly sexy stranger in an artsy coffee shop. His shirt would be slightly open at the front and his jeans would fit him sinfully, he would smile and her stomach would melt like butter...

"Sarah..?"

She was nudged from her daydreams by the return of the hapless moving squad.

"Yes, sorry. I'm almost done, I think there's just the dresser, table and lamp left to load." Sarah explained while walking to check her closet for anything left behind.

At first it looked empty, almost forlorn without her clothes occupying it but there was something in there, if she jumped she could see it, right at the back of a top shelf. Reaching on her tip-toes her fingers scraping the edge of something dusty until she could grasp the corner and pull it down.

"Oh...thats where I put you." She muttered while running a hand over the dust covered worn, red leather of her once favourite book. 'The Labyrinth' was still visible glinting gold from beneath seven years of accumulated dust. Sarah remembered a younger version of herself stuffing it to the back of the closet upon her return from her adventures in the labyrinth.

While she still kept contact with the friends she made there, calling on them whenever she needed a brave knight, a loyal dwarf and a soft-hearted beast, even just to join her for tea. Sarah still carried the lessons she learned in the Underground, particularly ones pertaining to wishes, goblins and cruel kings. This book, she felt, had done enough damage, and scared of the power it held, she threw it onto the highest shelf she could find and forgot about it.

Sarah considered packing her relic with the rest of her possesions, destined for their new home, but changed her mind deciding that she had been right the first time. No good would come of this book lying around her new place, cluttering her new adventure with its ominous presence. Sarah pictured for a moment herself throwing some kind of cultured soiree in her new apartment, the rooms packed with hipster folk laughing and drinking cocktails,she would be wearing something suitably elegant and flattering, playing the gracious host. Until someone finds a little red book and begins to read, "I wish...".

"Nope! Absolutely not happening!" Sarah stated a little to loud to no one in particular. Although the thought of a cocktail party full of hipster types suddenly manifesting into the Goblin Kings throne room did cause a wry smirk, that was until she thought of Him anyway.

Him.

Recling indolently on his throne, one leather clad leg thrown carelessly over the side, a playful yet cruel smirk teasing his lips while he holds out a crystal poised on the tips of his long, gloved fingers. "A crystal, nothing more", a ghost of a voice whispers through her mind.  
Sarah was aware of her palms getting warmer and her heart fluttering for a moment before, for the second time today...

*SMASH*

"Oh, come ON!" she exclaimed angrily, jarred from her thoughts Sarah whipped around to see her mirror in pieces on the bedroom floor and one of the moving guys blushing a particularly mottled shade of pink. Pulling his face into an apologetic expression "I'm really sorry, the company is insured so it shouldn't be a problem to.."

"NO! Nonononono" Sarah dashed to the mirror, trying unsuccessfully to match pieces of the cracked frame back together. Sure, she could get another but this was her mothers, Sarah had started using it after she left. It had been with her since childhood. Then there was the matter of her friends in the Underworld. Would they still be able to contact her?

The Goblin King hadn't been in the best of moods that day to begin with, but he had found some small modicum of happiness by bogging a number of goblins who had been found making snow angels in a pile of spilt flour in the castle kitchens, flour angels, if you will.

After further populating the Bog of Eternal Stench, his majesty had changed outfit, the previous one had been tainted by the bad morning. Now strutting through his castle in a red wine and black ensemble (with just a touch of glitter) looking for other miscreants to punish, Jareth was considering a stroll down to the Goblin City, or perhaps throwing himself into a jaunty song and dance number about his terrible day when he momentarily stumbled. The Goblin King never stumbles.

The reason for the stumbling was a cold feeling passing over his heart lasting only a second, it felt like an icy vacuum sucking at his chest before it passed as quickly as it had struck. His face glittered as two heavily eye shadowed eyebrows drew together in shock. "Odd" was all he muttered as his feet abruptly changed direction and turned him down the corridor which led to his throne room.

Still a little disturbed by the moment even after throwing himself into his throne with a flourish and bogging three more goblins and a chicken for good measure. Determined to forget about the whole embarrassing incident, the Goblin King smirked and turned to his favorite past time, although some would call it an obsessive habit, and produced a crystal with a flick of his wrist. The smirk fell.

Frowning, the king threw the crystal out of a nearby window to smash some three floors down on the head of an inadvertent goblin rendering him temporarily unconscious much to the amusement of his companions. The Goblin King closed his eyes with a short calming breath before flicking his wrist and once more producing a crystal. Peering closer to it his features rearranged them-self into something sinister and sharp. The noise he then made sort of began as a growl before evolving into a penetrating roar.

"WHERE ARE YOU!" he demanded of the crystal.

Feeling the ominous mood change most of the goblins were beginning to back away from the throne to find better things to do away from the kings notoriously volatile temper.

Except for Twitch and a handful of chickens, he didn't know any better (having recently been launched out of a window and suffering something close to the goblin equivalent of temporary memory loss) and having been sat somewhat close to the throne when all this was happening he felt a sort of dumb curiosity at the kings sudden change in demeanor. Getting up and peering into the crystal depths he stated, much to the kings rapidly increasing aggravation "There's nothin' in there".

"I know that, you cretin!" The king exploded, tapping the crystal with one long finger, "what I need to know is why"

"Why what?" asked a confused Twitch

"Why I can't see her anymore" then more to himself "where are you Sarah? You can't hide from me"

"Who's her again?" enquired the ignorant goblin

"The babe with the power" asserted the goblin King as he abruptly stood, by the time he has risen to his full height his outfit had switched to a formidable, glittering, black ensemble complete with armor and a touch of malevolence.

"Oh..er, right then" said Twitch, craning his neck back while wondering why all the other goblins seemed to have vanished from the room.

"I think I'm going to have to pay dear Sarah a visit" stated the Goblin King, lingering over the dear Sarah part as if he particularly enjoyed the taste of the words, with one final smirk the king twinkled out of existence leaving behind a startled goblin dusting glitter off of his nose.


	2. Chapter 2

*** Just a quick note to explain that I have changed the name of the fic from 'Courting Sarah' to 'Mirror Dust'. After posting the first chapter I found another Laby fic called 'Courting Sarah' and unsure of the rules about this, opted for a name change before chapter 2.**

 **Also probably should have mentioned earlier that I don't own any of the characters, except maybe Twitch but I don't think he is aware of it..short term memory loss and all. ***

* * *

Sarah was still miserable hours later, she couldn't bring herself to be anything but frosty for the rest of the afternoon with the moving team she had been referring to as "Chaos and Clutz" in muttered expressions since the mirror incident. Even the thrill of finally being in her new home couldn't completely take away the feeling.

During the drive to her new apartment she had called for each of her friends in every mirror she could find; gas station toilets, her rear view mirror, even her tiny makeup compact mirror. "Hoggle? Ludo? Please, if you can hear me I need you. Sir Didymus..?"

Nothing. Not that she had ever tried any of these alternatives before but she had to try, right? The thought of never being able to call on her friends again was heartbreaking, what would they think of her? That she simply didn't care enough to respond? What was worse though was the inexplicable and inescapable feeling of being utterly alone. Like a piece of her was gone or a connection had broken somewhere, never realising how much she depended on it before it was gone.

Sarah sighed again and continued to unpack boxes of books. She glanced longingly at the broken mirror on the coffee table. She knew it was silly and pointless to bring it with her but the idea of leaving it behind was too painful. She would fix it, somehow. Maybe if she could get the frame fixed somewhere then have a new mirror fitted to it, but would that even work? If the rear view mirror and the compact didn't work, what's to say another mirror would work in the original frame.

Leaning over to pick up a misshapen shard, Sarah stroked it longingly and whispered "Hoggle? Hoggle please come, I need you."  
Again the silence taunted her. Perhaps... she thought, perhaps if I called to _**Him**_ he would answer her? No, she chastised herself, remembering the look on his face when she left the Labyrinth. Memories of that moment swam through her vision, the Goblin King in a billowing, white, feathered cloak pleading with her...

 _"Love me, Fear me.."_

The strain of the day reached it's peak and Sarah choked back a small sob. Today wasn't meant to have gone like this, it was supposed to be a day of liberation and adventure and once again she was sat on her floor surrounded by books feeling immensely alone. Wiping her eyes she shook herself and stood up.

"I need to go out" Sarah announced to the empty room of unpacked cardboard boxes.

* * *

The Goblin King had arrived at Sarah's erstwhile childhood home to find most of the lights out, in his owl form he had flown to Sarah's window preparing himself to confront her for the first time since she had cruelly rejected him, only to find her bedroom dark and empty.

"Well that was anticlimactic" he thought drolly to himself, but upon further inspection he noticed that the room was not just empty but completely devoid of everything including her furniture. "She's... gone?"

Materializing in her dark bedroom, Jareth stilled for a moment, appearing more shadow than man. The Goblin King sniffed the air like a predator seeking prey, but as the scent of her reached him he inhaled, deeply. His eyes fluttering closed momentarily as memories of Sarah bombarded his senses.

Watching her act out lines in the park with her hair held back by a flowered circlet, a flush of pink in her cheeks from the summer's heat. The scent of her hair as he leaned over her in the tunnels under his labyrinth, the frightened look in her eyes before she squared her shoulders "...it's a piece of cake..." his memories mocked him. A ballroom and a white dress, how she had clung to him as he spun her through a crowd of masks.

It had been years since he had last visited her, even to watch from afar. The Goblin King had become accustomed to keeping his distance, choosing to watch her at his leisure through his crystals. He had watched her grow into a beautiful young woman. But the distance he had kept through the years did nothing to temper the affect on him now.

The Goblin King didn't know whether to be confused or downright angry at her for deciding to leave her home. Something inside him mutinously whispered "She's moved on... without you, she doesn't need you anymore".

"Ha! Doesn't need me? Not for all the stars in the Underground!" Slipping back into his owl form, Jareth flew outside.

"I'll find our precious Sarah, she couldn't have strayed far". Turning his wings away from the dark building he gained altitude and headed out of the neighborhood, reaching for that feeling inside himself that was always present when he watched her through his crystals. Reaching out with it, seeking her.

Frustrated and tired, Sarah had given up on finding company tonight and had instead turned her attention to finding her bed.

Having forgotten that it was a mundane Tuesday, Sarah had found, to her dismay, all of the bars half empty. The handful of people who occupied these bars were either in a group, animated in their excited discussions or exceedingly old and far too drunk for any real conversation.

She had seated herself at the bar and tried to make conversation with the girl serving drinks but after 10 minutes Sarah got the impression that she was bothering her more than inspiring a new friendship.

Now she was plodding back to her apartment, despondently kicking stones into the gutter. A flash of white caught her eye for a second, but when she looked there was nothing.  
Turning onto her new street, Sarah marveled that she hadn't gotten lost. She was even starting to feel a little chirpier as she got closer to home. Planning to soak off the day with a hot bath when she got in.  
"Well, it's not like my day can get any worse!" she giggled to herself.

* * *

 _A/N: Thank you so much for following this story! This is my first fic and I'm still crazy nervous over it. Please review, it all helps me. Hopefully, I'll be able to upload Chapter 3 before the end of the week. Also, apologies if I've balls'd up any American terminology, I'm painfully British and the challenge of writing as an American is a little more difficult that I first imagined. Feel free to correct me, I'll take it like a champ! Love Love Love x_


	3. Chapter 3

Soaring through the night with a steady breeze carrying him forward, Jareth had spied Sarah walking alone down a street. He had followed her at a distance, wondering again what could have caused the change to prevent him seeing her through his crystals.

He watched in silence as she skipped up the stairs to her apartment, or, at least, he hoped it was her apartment. It suddenly occurred to The Goblin King that Sarah may have moved on in more than one way.

The thought of his Sarah sharing a home with some mortal boy caused a visceral reaction even he hadn't expected. Pure, white rage ran through every nerve. Blistering envy filled his chest until he couldn't breathe.

The still twilight was shattered with the piercing shriek of a barn owl.

Swooping down to a better vantage point, Jareth waited until Sarah had entered the house before flying to a large apple tree near her window to watch. If a barn own could sneer, this one would have been.

* * *

Nearly tripping on the top step when a chilling shriek flooded the quiet evening, Sarah darted inside her house and leaned her back against the door willing her heartbeat to slow down.

"You're just jumpy because it's a new town and a new house" Sarah counseled herself "but that really was the most disturbing sound I think I've ever heard!" shivering slightly despite the humid weather Sarah made her way through to her bathroom.

After running a hot bath, she rummaged through some of her still unpacked boxes for a bath bomb and her toiletries. Sarah felt her worries slip away as she slid under the hot water, after selecting a playlist on her iPod her head rolled back to rest on a rolled up towel and she drifted off into another place.

* * *

Once Jareth had seen Sarah enter the house and make her way through to a room at the back, he had waited a moment to check there was no one else in the apartment before he appeared in her front room.

Surveying the room with a fixed scowl he slowly calmed at the lack of evidence that another person was sharing Sarah's home. Jareth looked around taking in the books half unpacked onto the shelves and wondered for a moment whether she still recited lines like she used to as a girl. The thought brought a soft, half smile to his lips.

The smile slipped as his gaze landed on the broken mirror sat in pieces on a coffee table.

The same mirror he had enchanted for her, his last parting gift. What he had never told her before she left the Underground was that by defeating the Labyrinth, it's champion would always be a part of it, it changed you as you change it. Sarah would never truly feel comfortable in the Aboveground, yet always be able to find her way back should she choose to.

With his long, gloved fingers he plucked a shard of glass from the table.

Although careful not to admit it, his tenderness towards this lonely, mortal girl had affected him more than he cared to say. The time they had spent together in the Labyrinth had only deepened that.  
Holding it up to the light he saw what only a fae, such as he, would see. A sheen on the glass that spoke of magic. His magic.

Knowing how the Underground's touch changes humans, he had merged a crystal with the glass of the mirror upon her dressing table to allow passage of the Labyrinth creatures she called friends. She had rejected his offer but he could at least provide her with this small comfort.

The added attraction of this charm was that it allowed him unadulterated access to continue observing his beautiful nemesis at his leisure. A fae's cunning nature will always win out and no gift comes without a price.

Mismatched eyes met their own reflection within the mirror shard.

* * *

As the last of the bathwater ran down the drain and silence once again fell in the bathroom, Sarah noticed something was wrong, the air felt charged like before a storm and the the hairs on the back of her neck had risen.

Wrapping the towel tighter around herself, Sarah eyed the lock on the bathroom door. All of the relaxing progress of the hot bath now undone, her heart rate accelerating, Sarah reached to open the door.

If Sarah had been expecting burglars, previous owners or ghosts she was very wrong.

She was not prepared for the Goblin King, tall, dark and fearsome in his leather-clad fury. The electricity she had felt in the air was pouring off of him in waves. The lamplight glinted off of his black armor.

Utterly dumbstruck, Sarah failed to produce any useful thoughts besides becoming painfully aware of the single towel she was clutching to herself.

She opened her mouth once, twice but nothing came out. She shook her head slowly in disbelief. A dream, it must be a dream.

"So, you defeat my labyrinth, then destroy my gift." the Goblin King drawled, his voice honey with a quiet menace.

Oh, not a dream. So, so not a dream!

"Sarah, Sarah, Sarah... I do believe retribution is in order and I'm certain I can find a suitable punishment." A low malicious chuckle rippled through the room.

* * *

A/N - 'The chilling shriek' was based on an actual barn owl shriek. If you have never heard one before, jump over to YouTube, you can hear them there. It's bloodcurdling, just.. bloodcurdling.

Ah, at last they are finally in the same room. Now it gets interesting.


	4. Chapter 4

Just wanted to say a really big sorry for how long this has taken to finish and upload. My baby was sick, so I got sick and then my hubby got sick. Everything has taken literally twice the time to do with little or no energy to do it with. BUT! I stayed up all night and finally got this finished (my pantry office is very cold) I'm going to be so much worse tomorrow but...worth it! Love Love Love *cough*

* * *

"You."  
Sarah exhaled the word in one whispered breath she hadn't realised she had been holding.

The Goblin King's lips pulled into a thin smile.  
"How observant you have become, Precious" he drawled.

Flustered at the intrusion and further flustered by the intruder himself, Sarah struggled to find her right words."How..are you, what are.."  
Swallowing hard Sarah tried again, "Why are you here?!" she demanded a little to loudly.

Jareth cocked an eyebrow at her explosion which did nothing to calm the rapidly unraveling Sarah.

"I..I didn't say anything, I didn't..Toby isn't here. Th..There isn't anyone.. I didn't call you, I didn't..didn't ask for anything." Sarah's voice escalated higher with every attempt at understanding why the Goblin King in all his glittering glory was currently standing in the doorway to her bathroom.

"What are you doing here? I didn't ask you to come back..I even left that damn book behind to avoid this ever happening again! You.. you can't be here! WHY ARE YOU HERE!?"

Sarah finished on a shrill note, her hands gripping the bath towel with white knuckles.

Jareth's expression had darkened considerably during her rant and he was now advancing on Sarah with a thunderous look in his mismatched eyes.

Sarah's courage of moments ago, it seems, had followed the bath water down the drain. She stepped back instinctively, until her back thumped against the wall.

The Goblin King loomed over Sarah. He looked for a moment as if he was going to scold her for the verbal display but something different passed over his features for a second. A clouded look took over his eyes.  
The scent of shampoo in her dark, damp tresses hit him like a drug, he could do nothing but inhale the soft scent of jasmine and Sarah. His eyes becoming hooded as he reveled in being so close to her again.

Sarah was perplexed by this sudden change in the Goblin King's demeanor, the rigid and austere character of his features molding into a softer expression for a moment. He seemed to be..wait..was he sniffing her hair? She moved her hand to push him away but thought better of it when she realised it was the only thing holding her fluffy, white bath towel together.

Instead, she found herself peering up to truly look at the villain of her childhood again, only right now, he wasn't quite as villainous as she remembered. Considering his features she noted he hadn't really changed all that much. His hair was still just as pale and wild, his eyebrows were still flamboyant and glittering, his eyes...

The breath Sarah had been unconsciously holding left her abruptly, somewhere between a pant and a sigh.

Startled and afraid of the effect he was having on her, Sarah squared her shoulders and lifted her chin, defiance in her eyes as she met his stare head on.

Sensing the shift, Jareth quickly shuttered his expression, the hand which had moments ago been traveling of its own accord to twirl a wet lock of Sarah's long dark hair around his finger dropped back to his side and clenched into a tight fist. His mouth twisted into a sneer as he quickly turned and stalked out of the bathroom.

Shuddering at the sudden lack of warmth from his presence and her strung out nerves, Sarah sagged against the wall, "I need more than a towel for this conversation".

Sarah marched out of the bathroom intent on finding clothes and answers. But the door to her bedroom was currently occupied by the tall frame of the Goblin King, leaning gracefully against it with his ankles crossed. He was twirling something between his fingers which glinted against the light.

"This is not gift for an ordinary girl..." he repeated his words of years ago, turning from the mirror shard in his fingers to piece her with a dark, glittering stare "and how do you treat my gifts, Sarah?" he sneered "I see the ungrateful child has become an ungrateful woman, congratulations must be in order" he flourished his long fingers in a mock bow.

Insulted and outraged, Sarah stood her ground, "What gifts!? The Cleaners? A poisoned peach? You.."  
"I moved the stars for you!" Jareth hissed, cutting her off. "I reordered time... for you" he emphasised, standing to his full height once again.

Balling her fists, Sarah shouted "You removed hours of time! You did nothing but hinder my progress. What have you possibly done for me?!"

"The Mirror, Sarah" the Goblin King spoke quieter, sounding suddenly exhausted and leaning back against the door frame, "The Mirror. What, did you think it enchanted itself to allow my traitorous subjects to pass through to the Aboveground at your every whim?" he asked, sarcasm dripping. "I should have bogged them all and been done with it" he muttered "In fact, I think it's high time I promoted Hogswatch from Prince of The Land of Stench to it's King", he added with a sardonic smirk.

Sarah found her voice, still struck by the revelation of the mirrors enchantment and baffled at how this had come about. "You did that? ...for me? But.." She drifted off at the unreadable expression on his face.

Jareth had expected her to rail against him again, had almost been looking forward to it. Especially when she got angry enough to remove her tight grip from the bath towel, but this Sarah, this older Sarah did seem to have grown up in that respect. His eyes flicked back to the fluffy, white fabric hugging her curves. Perhaps in other respects too, he admitted.  
Meeting her eyes again he held up a single shard of the mirror and asked,

"And how do you thank me for my generosity, Sarah?".

"But, but that was an accident. The movers, they were knocking over everything, I didn't.."

"Excuses, Sarah." Jareth interrupted, "Always someone else to blame." He canted his head, a wry smirk playing on his lips.

"That's not fair!" Sarah said automatically, blushing furiously when she realised what she had said, crossing her arms over her chest Sarah suddenly felt fifteen and helpless again.

Jareth laughed, unable to help himself. The sight of his furious and blushing Sarah utterly outraged was almost too tempting, causing her to fluster was truly one of his favorite pastimes.

"I see some things haven't changed" he smirked nonchalantly, then leaning forward slightly made a very obvious display of appraising Sarah from her blue painted toenails to her still damp, delicious-smelling hair, "and some things have." he added in a huskier tone.

Caught off guard by his statement and the intense look in his hypnotic eyes, Sarah's anger fled. Fighting herself to maintain eye contact and not stare at her carpet, blushing like a school girl, Sarah reminded herself that the Goblin King plays games like this all the time and his comments served only to knock her off balance. She was older and wiser, she could handle him this time.

She decided to take matters into her own hands and ask the question she needed an answer to most. "Will I ever see my friends again? Hoggle, Ludo and Sir Didymus they don't know about the mirror and I have no way of telling them what happened. If I fixed the mirror and replaced the glass, well.. would it work again?"

"No." He stated with an expression which brooked no argument. "What's done is done." he added almost musically.

Overwrought after the events of a very long day, Sarah almost cried. "But, how will I tell them, they will think I've just abandoned them, that I don't need them" she pleaded.

Jareth's inner voice muttered back bitterly _"Like how you abandoned me, like how you don't need me.."_.

The truth stung, when he spoke again the edge had returned to his voice and an aura of menace pervaded the air around him. "Then perhaps next time you will learn to take care of my gifts and not take such things for granted, Sarah" he spat her name like a curse.

"And don't think I have forgotten what I said earlier, there will be a punishment for this.

Until then, sleep well, you precious thing." he whispered the last and with that disappeared from her room in a blink. No glitter or thunderstorms, leaving Sarah standing in her bath towel shaken and alone.

* * *

Thanks so much to everyone for the reviews and for following. Your words lifted me out of my poorly, sofa-bound state and soothed me with honey and lemon :) x


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